Designing clear and impactful student learning outcomes (SLOs) is essential for guiding both faculty and students toward academic success. Whether you're a new or seasoned faculty member, developing strong course learning outcomes ensures that students understand what they are expected to achieve by the end of a course. Well-constructed SLOs are student-focused, clearly defined, aligned with broader program objectives, appropriate for the degree level, and measurable. These elements are critical in maintaining high academic standards and fostering student growth at SWAU.

For further guidance, please refer to the Student Learning Outcome Rubric, which provides a detailed framework for crafting effective outcomes.

Program/Course SLO Rubric: Rubric

Watermark Planning & Self-Study is a comprehensive platform designed to streamline institutional effectiveness, program assessment, and accreditation reporting. It enables institutions to document and evaluate student learning outcomes, program goals, and curriculum effectiveness through a structured, data-driven approach.

For Program Assessment, Watermark allows institutions to set measurable objectives, track key performance indicators (KPIs), and collect evidence to demonstrate program success. Faculty and administrators can align program goals with institutional priorities, ensuring continuous improvement and compliance with accreditation requirements.

For Course Assessment, the platform facilitates the collection of direct and indirect assessment data to measure student learning outcomes at the course level. Faculty can map course objectives to program outcomes, analyze assessment results, and use insights to enhance curriculum design and instructional strategies.

Link to Watermark P&SS: Watermark Planning and Self-Study

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• Assessment – The process of measuring student learning, program effectiveness, or institutional success.

• Program Learning Outcomes (PLOs) – Broad learning goals established for an entire degree or certification program.

• Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs) – Statements describing what students should know, be able to do, or value after completing a course or program.

• Curriculum Mapping – A process that aligns courses, assignments, and assessments with program learning outcomes to ensure comprehensive coverage.

• Target – A predefined level of achievement or performance benchmark used to measure success in assessment efforts.

• Direct Assessment – Methods that evaluate student learning based on actual performance, such as exams, projects, or presentations.

• Indirect Assessment – Methods that measure perceptions of learning, such as surveys, course evaluations, or focus groups.

• Formative Assessment – Ongoing assessments during a course or program to provide feedback and guide improvements.

• Summative Assessment – Final evaluations at the end of a course or program to determine overall achievement.

• Rubric – A scoring guide outlining specific criteria and performance levels for an assignment or assessment.

• Benchmarking – Comparing assessment results to internal or external standards to measure progress and effectiveness.

• Analysis – The process of examining assessment data to identify trends, strengths, and areas for improvement in student learning and program effectiveness.

• Action Plan – A structured response to assessment findings that outlines specific steps for improvement, implementation timelines, and responsible parties.

• Closing the Loop – The process of using assessment results and action plans to improve student learning, teaching strategies, and institutional practices.